Something You Don't Know
by Shoshanna
Summary: This is set after the episode 'Checkpoint' Dawn learns Spike's secret about Buffy.


Disclaimer: I own no characters from this story. I borrow them and use them as I see fit. :)  
  
Author's note: This is set after 'Checkpoint'. This is set after Dawn and Joyce are left in Spike's tender loving care... This is what I imagined might happen while they were there. Enjoy.  
  
  
Something You Don't Know  
  
  
  
Dawn sat in the corner of Spike's crypt. She had brought her journal with her so she would have something to do while sitting in this disgusting place her stupid sister dragged her to. She couldn't believe her mom was actually watching soap operas with some vampire. It was beyond weird, but then everything was always weird in their lives because of Buffy. Dawn began to write:  
  
  
*So here I am, sitting in some icky cemetery thing. My mom is watching TV with a vampire and I cannot forgive my sister for dragging me here! Ugh! That lady at our house didn't seem at all scary to me. I wonder what the big deal is? I am so tired of not knowing anything. I heard them talking about me, they don't know that I heard them, but I did. Something is going on and I will find out.*  
  
  
Dawn was startled when she heard Spike and her mother talking to the TV loudly.  
  
  
"Oh that is just bloody stupid! That would never happen." Spike said to the TV.  
  
  
"Sure it could happen. You just have to believe." Joyce said watching intently.   
  
  
Dawn rolled her eyes. Soap operas were so lame. She looked at Spike. He was sitting perched on the end of a chair next to her mom. She studied his features. She began writing again.  
  
  
  
*Spike is actually sort of cute, in a creepy, vampire guy sort of way. He has the bluest eyes I've ever seen. And he's way strong. I mean he'd have to be for Buffy to ask him to protect us. I bet he's really brave too, and nice. Buffy must like him. I mean she hasn't killed him, and she trusts him enough to leave us here, so that must mean he's pretty cool.*   
  
  
  
Dawn looked up again and listened to their conversation.  
  
  
"I don't like this next show. I can't stand these bloody talk shows. Unless it's Jerry Springer, you know? That show is just amazing." Spike said to Joyce as he changed the channel.  
  
  
"I like Oprah myself. She is so insightful, plus her book club is great." Joyce said to him.  
  
  
Dawn put her journal down and decided to go over to where they were sitting.   
  
  
"So how long do we have to be here? I'm kind of bored." Dawn asked.  
  
  
"Well, Buffy said she would be back soon. We just need to wait here for her, sweetheart." Joyce said with a smile.  
  
  
"Why don't you watch a little telly? Isn't that what you kids like to do anyway?" Spike asked.  
  
  
"Um, no. TV is lame." She answered with annoyance.  
  
  
"Well, why don't you read one of the books you brought?" Joyce asked her.  
  
  
"Fine, whatever." Dawn said as they went back to watching the television.  
  
  
  
Dawn decided to look around a bit. They weren't paying any attention to her. No one ever did. Most of the time Dawn felt invisible. She walked over to a corner and saw a small dresser. Her curiosity was peaked. She wondered what kind of things a vampire would keep in his house, besides blood, of course. She looked over at them and saw that they were engrossed in whatever mindless show was on then looked back at the dresser.  
  
  
She quietly opened the top drawer and peered inside. She was surprised to find a picture of her sister lying right on top. She picked it up and found another underneath it. This one had a little heart drawn around Buffy's head.  
  
  
Dawn clamped her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. She sifted through the drawer quietly, glancing up nervously to make sure they didn't notice what she was doing. She found a crumpled up piece of paper.  
  
  
She opened it slowly, trying not to make a lot of noise. It was a poem of some type. Dawn read it to herself.  
  
  
*She is like a star, shining brightly in my dark life.  
  
She is beauty and pain to me, her words cut me like a knife.  
  
All I want to do is love her, show her how good I can be.  
  
All she ever wants to do is to hurt, and make a fool out of me.  
  
If I can't have her in my life, my heart will turn to stone.  
  
For now and for always, in my heart, I am alone.*   
  
  
  
Dawn was in total shock and tried hard not to laugh. Spike was in love with Buffy. That was so sweet, and totally funny at the same time. She crumpled the paper back up and tossed it back into the drawer and closed it. She sat down to write in her journal again.  
  
  
  
*I can't believe what I just found out! Spike is in love with my sister! I can't believe it. She always gets the cool guys. It's so unfair. I wonder if they are dating? I wonder if that's why Riley left? Maybe Buffy was cheating on Riley? This is so juicy, I wish I had someone to tell.*  
  
  
  
"What are you writing?" Spike asked her as he came over to where she was sitting.  
  
  
Dawn was startled, she didn't see him there watching her.  
  
  
"Nothing. Just some stuff." Dawn said, quickly slamming the book shut.  
  
  
"Ah, juicy personal stuff, huh?" Spike said with a smirk. "Let's have a look." He said trying to grab her book.  
  
  
"I don't think so. It's personal, meaning you don't get to see it." She said defensively as she grabbed the book away.  
  
  
She looked over and noticed that her mom had dozed off. She had been tired a lot lately after her surgery. Dawn figured that she needed the rest.  
  
  
"So kid, anything about your sister in there?" He asked curiously. "Any juicy secrets about her?"  
  
  
"No. I mean, I may have mentioned her once or twice, but usually I just complain about her, and stuff. She's a real pain." Dawn told him.  
  
  
"Yeah, she's a real pain alright." Spike said thoughtfully. "So does she ever talk about me?"   
  
  
"Um, no, not really. But she doesn't tell me anything anyway." She said sadly. "Why? Should she be talking about you?" Dawn asked curiously wondering what was going on between her sister and the vampire.  
  
  
"Well, no, I guess not. I just wondered if she mentioned anything."  
  
  
"So, are you two, like, dating or something?" She asked him.  
  
  
"Dating? Are you insane?" Spike said quickly, trying to cover his surprise that she would ask him that. Then he thought, maybe there was something that Buffy told her sister. This might be interesting. "Why, did she say she was interested in me?"  
  
  
"No, I just know you like her and stuff, and since she brought us here, I figured..." Dawn tried to explain.  
  
  
"What do you mean I like her? What gives you that idea? Buffy and I tolerate each other, that's it. We do not like each other." Spike said attempting to cover his true feelings.  
  
  
"Oh sure. So that's why you have her pictures in your dresser and you write her mushy love poems?" Dawn said with a smirk.   
  
  
"What? You were going through my things? You little brat!" Spike said angrily. He could not believe this was happening. If she wasn't Buffy's sister and he was able to he would kill her right now.  
  
  
"Better not call me names. My sister wouldn't like that." Dawn teased him. "I told you I was bored, so I looked around a little."  
  
  
"You sneaky little...Ah! I can't believe you did that. You are even more irritating than your sister!" Spike was fuming.  
  
  
"So, like, what's the big deal about Buffy anyway? It's not like she's that great. I mean so she's the Chosen One, big deal. Why does everyone love her so much?"  
  
  
Spike calmed down a bit and looked at her. "Look, I don't know. I'm sure there are lots of people out there that hate her. I know, I used to be one of them."  
  
  
"So what changed? I mean she's like the slayer and you're a vampire. Isn't that a little weird?" Dawn asked him.  
  
  
"Yes, it is, but she's just...she's well, special, I guess." Spike said nervously. Talking about feelings to a fourteen-year-old was not exactly comfortable. Especially when she was the object of your affection's sister.  
  
  
"Special. Great. You're just like all the rest. Behold Buffy! She's special." Dawn said sarcastically.  
  
  
"I sense a touch of jealousy. What's your problem, anyway, kid? You got it easy. So what if a few people fancy your big sis?" Spike said to her.  
  
  
"Not just a few people, everyone. I'm here too. I can do stuff. Just because I don't chase vampires around with a big stick doesn't mean I'm not cool too." Dawn said dejectedly.  
  
  
"Look kid, that's life. It bloody well sucks most of the time. Get used to it." Spike told her.  
  
  
"Sure, you can say that. Your life is cool."  
  
  
"Cool? You think my life is cool? I'm a vampire in love with a slayer and I can't even kill a bloody thing. What's cool about that?" Spike said irritably shaking his head. "I used to be cool. I used to leave a pile of bodies wherever I went, and the blood..."   
  
  
"Okay, bodies and blood, yuck. Maybe your life's not that cool." Dawn said interrupting his trip down memory lane.  
  
  
"Whatever. Look, things will get better, right?" Spike told her.  
  
  
"They will?"  
  
  
"Yeah. At least that's what people say when they have no idea what else to tell you." Spike smiled at her.  
  
  
"Thanks, I guess." She said rolling her eyes. "So, like, are you gonna ask Buffy out on a date or something?"  
  
  
"A date? Vampires don't date. Well, unless you're a poof like Angel." Spike laughed.  
  
  
"Poof? What's that?" Dawn asked him, then shook her head. "Nevermind. So, if your not gonna ask her out then what are you gonna do?"  
  
  
"Nothing." Spike answered.  
  
  
"Nothing? Oh, that'll work." Dawn said with sarcasm.  
  
  
"Well, what would you have me do? Ask her to the bloody prom? No, I'm just gonna sit back and wait for her to come to me." Spike said confidently.  
  
  
"But does she even like you?"  
  
  
Spike's confidence deflated. "Well, no, not right now. But she will."  
  
  
"Want me to say something to her?" Dawn asked.  
  
  
"No! Don't say anything. She can't know about this." Spike said quickly.  
  
  
"Okay. So it's like a secret, right?"  
  
  
"Yeah, a secret. One you never get to tell, got it?" Spike said forcefully.  
  
  
"Yeah, I got it."  
  
  
"Good. I'm going to watch a little more telly while I listen to your mum snore." He said getting up and walking back over to the TV. "Stay out of my things or I get to read your little book." He said with a smirk.  
  
  
Dawn just rolled her eyes and nodded her head. Then she turned her attention back to her journal.  
  
  
  
*Spike is like so cool! He talks to me like I'm a person and not some dumb little girl. He told me stuff and totally made me feel better. It just sucks that he's in love with my sister like everyone else. I wish I was older, then maybe he'd like me instead. God, he must be like, ancient like Angel was, but he's so totally hot! And we bonded! We even have a secret that no one else knows. This is way cool.*  
  
  
  
After several hours, Buffy came to retrieve her family. She threw the door open and walked in. She saw the three of them sitting around a table playing cards and laughing.  
  
  
"Okay this night just keeps getting weirder and weirder." Buffy mumbled to herself.   
  
  
She walked over to them and no one even bothered to look up at her.  
  
  
Buffy cleared her throat loudly and said, "Isn't this cozy? It looks like a Norman Rockwell painting. But with a vampire instead of a cute little furry dog."   
  
  
"Hi, sweetie." Joyce said glancing up at her daughter.  
  
  
"Your mum is one hell of a poker player." Spike said not looking up from his cards.  
  
  
"Poker? You're playing poker?" Buffy asked disbelieving.  
  
  
"Yeah. Well what did you think would happen? Did you expect to find them chained up or something? I said I'd take care of em for you." Spike said to her.  
  
  
"Yeah, you did. Anyway, we can go now." Buffy said.  
  
  
"Did everything go okay, sweetheart?" Joyce asked as she put down her cards.  
  
  
"Yeah, it went fine. I think it's safe to go home for tonight. We'll talk more later." Buffy said indicating that Dawn was there.  
  
  
"Right. Wait till I'm in bed then talk. We wouldn't want poor innocent Dawn to hear anything interesting." Dawn said irritably.  
  
  
"Dawn..." Buffy said not wanting to get into it with her.  
  
  
"What? It's true. I know you guys are keeping secrets from me. But that's okay. I have a secret too." Dawn said with a proud smile.  
  
  
Spike shot her a desperate look, willing her to shut her mouth. Dawn just smiled at him, then back at Buffy.  
  
  
"You have a secret?" Buffy said nervously, wondering if she found something out about her being the key.  
  
  
"Yes, and it's good too. But I'm not telling you." Dawn said happily.  
  
  
"Yes, she's not telling you, because that would be a bad idea. Right, kid?" Spike said with a forced smile.  
  
  
"Right." Dawn said giving Spike a sly smile.  
  
  
Buffy had no idea what was going on but figured it was just some stupid Jr. High secret. Dawn didn't seem to know anything about the key thing.  
  
  
"Okay, whatever. We need to go." Buffy said.  
  
  
Joyce stood up and gathered her things.   
  
  
"Thanks for, uh, entertaining us Spike." Joyce said politely.  
  
  
"No problem." He told her. He always had a fondness for Buffy's mother.  
  
  
Dawn just sat there and ignored Buffy.  
  
  
"Dawn, get your things. We need to go."   
  
  
"I want to stay here." Dawn said crossing her arms defiantly.  
  
  
"What?" Buffy and Spike said in unison.  
  
  
"I want to stay here. Spike's way cooler than you." Dawn said to her.  
  
  
"No way!" Buffy said loudly.  
  
  
"I'll second that." Spike piped in. "You can't stay here, kid. I'm done with the babysitting job."  
  
  
"But I thought we were friends and stuff." Dawn said looking at him sadly.  
  
  
"Spike is nobody's friend. Get your stuff." Buffy said firmly.  
  
  
Dawn got up angrily and went to get her things. Spike got up and walked over to her.  
  
  
"Hey, don't take it personal. You're a cool kid, but you can't stay here. Remember how boring it is?" Spike said to her. There was something about the girl that he liked. She didn't like to take crap from anyone. She was alright in his book.  
  
  
"It was boring before, but we talked and stuff. It was kind of fun." Dawn said sadly.  
  
  
"Fun? Well, all right, but you need to go home now. And remember to keep quiet about what we talked about." Spike told her.  
  
  
"Don't worry." She told him. "So, can I like visit you and stuff, you know, if I need to talk?"  
  
  
"I'm sure Buffy would love that." He said with sarcasm. Then he thought about it. "Yeah, you can stop by." Anything to further irritate Buffy was always fun.  
  
  
"Cool. See ya later." Dawn said as she walked over to her mom and sister.  
  
  
Buffy took her arm and led her to the door.  
  
  
"What were you talking to him about?" She asked.  
  
  
"None of your business." Dawn said to her.  
  
  
Buffy just rolled her eyes.  
  
  
"Come on, let's go."  
  
  
"You're welcome, Slayer." Spike called out after them. After all that and she didn't even thank him for watching her family.  
  
  
Buffy turned and looked at him. She thought about saying something rude like she always did, but changed her mind at the last minute. She took a deep breath.  
  
  
"Thank you, Spike." She said quietly staring at him.  
  
  
He returned her stare and smiled. "Anytime." He said.  
  
  
She just turned and led her family out the door.  
  
  
Spike smiled to himself. Yeah, he was just going to sit back and wait for her to come to him. She was weakening, he could tell. Won't be long before she comes waltzing in here begging for me to mend her broken heart, he thought to himself. Now, if that sister of hers can just keep her mouth shut...  
  
  
When Dawn got home she went to her room and took her journal out again.  
  
  
  
*Buffy thinks she can keep secrets from me? Well, I've got plenty of secrets of my own. Well, okay, just the one secret actually, but it's a good one. I wonder what Buffy would do if she knew? She'd probably freak. It would be so funny! Oh well, it's my secret and I'm not telling...Well, not right now, anyway. I mean, I know Spike would be mad and stuff, but how's he ever going to get anywhere with her if he doesn't tell her? I'll just wait until the perfect time and then maybe it just might slip out. I'm so awful! But it's fun.*  
  
  
Dawn closed her journal and smiled smugly to herself. This was going to be fun.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
